Girder-Bilt Construction System

From the instruction booklet that was included in
Girder-Bilt sets (see image below left)

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Your GIRDER-BILT CONSTRUCTION SET has been carefully designed to enable you to construct all of the designs pictured in this folder.

This set contains:
       2" GIRDERS with 4 perforations
       4" GIRDERS with 8 perforations
       8" GIRDERS with 16 perforations
       1/4" SCREWS and NUTS
       1/2" SCREWS and NUTS
       1" SCREWS and NUTS
(The long screws may be used for axles)
       ANGLE BENDS       WHEELS
Combination Wrench and Screwdriver

After you have become expert with this set, add to it by purchasing one or more additional sets. You will then be able to construct larger and more elaborate models.

GIRDER-BILT is made of the finest aluminum alloy and is the same type metal as used in our giant airplanes. It is strong as stell, yet light in weight and will never rust. Take care of your GIRDER-BILT SET and it will last for years and give you many hours of fun.

Manufactured and Distributed by
PLAY ITEMS, INC.
Room 518
200 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

Hi folks, Doc here. Recently a reader of this website acquired a small construction set that he was unfamiliar with. He sent photos and asked for more information. As it happens, I too was unfamiliar with this particular set, which is called Girder-Bilt. A search for information turned up a few interesting images and some basic part specifications, but not much else. What I did learn is that these sets, the exact number and variety of which is not clear, were manufactured and sold in the USA from the mid-late 1940s to sometime in the 1950s. The earliest reference I found was an ad for Girder-Bilt in an Illinois newspaper dated October 24, 1946.

Girder-Bilt sets were very small with few parts, which except for the wheels were made of aluminum. Sets seemed to be exclusively packed in round cardboard cartons with press-on metal caps (see images below). Interestingly, sets were branded and sold under several names, including Girder Bilt, Boycraft Builder, and Jiffy Builder. As indicated in the text from the included set brochures (see sidebar at right), the sets were sold by a company called Play Items, Inc. based in New York City.

As a typical(?) set inventory (right sidebar) and image below indicate, Girder-Bilt parts were limited to very few styles, including three sizes of perforated strips, small angle brackets, wheels, plus basic hardware (screws and nuts). The other part shown in the image is a small flat "plate" that appears to be composed of six unseparated 4-hole perforated strips. The table below shows some of the general specifications; hole spacing matches Erector and Meccano, among other systems, but the other specs are less "standard." Tools provided include a small wrench and a small multi-tool (combo wrench and screwdriver).